Tag - windbags

November 8, 2010

Spangler Uses Cool Science Demos at NAEYC Conference to Share His Passion for Teaching Science

Contributed by Guest Blogger, Nancy Leemer

I remember coming to the NAEYC Conference years ago and watching Steve Spangler present his hands-on science activities to a room of 50 or so early childhood educators, but those days are long gone. That intimate workshop experience in the past has given way to a ballroom packed with a few thousand teachers who are wondering what he’s going to do this time.

“I saw Steve last week on the Ellen Show and didn’t even know he was going to be at this conference,” said Shawna Dematre, a second year teacher from an early learning center outside of Nashville. “When I saw his name on the program, I wanted to come to the session to see how I can do more science experiments for my kids.”

When Steve hit the stage, the audience had already been treated to twenty minutes of simple science experiments and other video clips from Spangler’s website. Within five minutes from the start of the program, pieces of potatoes were already flying through the audience and he was setting up his main themes:

  • The difference between good teachers and great teachers is that the great ones know how to create unforgettable learning experiences.
  • Just because kids

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October 16, 2009

Fall Hands-on Science Secrets Boot Camp Tour Off to a Great Start

Fall Boot CampOur Fall Boot Camp Tour kicked off September 23rd in Grand Rapids, MI, with a second stop just two days later in Chicago, IL… and it was a blast!  What an enthusiastic group of teachers awaited us in both cities.  I love the Windbag demonstration because who wouldn’t want to make a paying customer look silly up on stage?  Our teacher volunteer was a great sport and we had a fun Windbag Challenge before discussing the properties of Bernoulli’s Principle.  Our teachers picked up very quickly on my hex nut drop and didn’t even seem to mind the “music” created by the Screaming Balloons.  It was a great day and an awesome opportunity to meet some of the amazing teachers who are bringing science to their classrooms.

Chicago was equally amazing… especially with our Egg Drop demonstration.  I had a fun volunteer, who did a great job getting those eggs in the cups on the very first try!

Check out these videos of our Grand Rapids and Chicago Boot Camps to see what you’ve been missing.  If you attended one of the workshops, I’d love to hear your

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May 8, 2009

Steve Spangler Science Sets New Guinness World Record at 9News Colorado Rockies Science Day

World's Largest Physics Lesson

World’s Largest Physics Lesson

We’re honored to get to say, “We did it!” With a final count of 5,401 people, all armed with Windbags, the seats at Coors Field were flooded with science as we set out to set a new world record for the the Largest Physics Lesson.  What a sight… a sea of Windbags with a special fly-over by Sky9, that captured the moment on film from the helicopter.  The requirement for Guinness World Records was that the lesson last at least 30 minutes, but, we decided to take it to the next level and go for a full 51 minutes.  There were Mentos Geysers, Rockies players with Potato Guns, a lesson on Bernoulli’s Principle, and, of course, a giant kaboom for the finale. And, at the end of the lesson an official Guinness World Records adjudicator was on hand to present our team with a certificate for the new world record. Learn more about all of the science experiments featured on Science Day at Coors Field.

Wondering about the official word from Guinness?  Check this out for more info…

Press Release

DENVER, COLORADO – Steve Spangler

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